A 34-year-old woman committed suicide while suffering from depression, a coroner has decided.

Michelle Broad, of Higham Close, Tovil, Maidstone, died after falling from the 12th floor of Midhurst Court in Maidstone on July 22 last year.

An inquest in Maidstone was told that Miss Broad was found on the entrance canopy of the block at about 8.30pm. She had multiple injuries.

Miss Broad, an unemployed mother of one, had a history of paranoia and had been diagnosed by psychiatrists as having a delusional disorder with moderate depression.

Her partner, Tristan Horton, said she had anxieties about people talking about her.

He added: "She made several references to doing something at some stage but I always thought she would never be strong enough to carry out anything like that."

Mr Horton said Miss Broad also became pre-occupied with her appearance and believed she had a condition that caused reddening of the face. He said that gave her reason not to go out anywhere.

On the day Miss Broad died, Mr Horton said he came home to find her lying on the bed.

"She came down and was quite agitated and said she wanted to go out and get some cigarettes. She was getting agitated and angry and I took the car keys off her but she was making such a fuss and creating such problems in front of my son that I just said take the keys but make sure you come back," he said.

Investigating officers said CCTV showed that Miss Broad had entered Midhurst Court via an open exit door and that they were certain that she then jumped from a window on the 12th floor after levering open one of the windows and lowering herself onto a sill.

Forensic examination showed that it was very likely that footprints found on the sill matched Miss Broad's shoes.

Mid Kent and Medway coroner Roger Sykes, who recorded a verdict of suicide, said: "I am completely satisfied that she took her own life."